Tlen-Huicani

Tlen-Huicani was established in 1973 by harpist Alberto Manuel De La Rosa y Sanchez. The group’s name means "singers" in Nahuatl, an Aztec language spoken in Central America.
Mr. Rosa, the founder and current group leader, formed Tlen-Huicani to preserve and promote son jarocho, a traditional form of Arpa played Veracruz, Mexico. Losing none of the rhythms of the past while pursuing their own style over the 50 years since forming, the group has devoted itself to providing performances, concerts, education, and musical research.
Since their first performance on 12 September 1973, Tlen-Huicani has represented Mexico and Veracruz in the world’s most important folkloric musical festivals. Performances held in over 60 countries have confirmed their stellar global reputation as traditional musicians.
Tlen-Huicani has been able to establish a unique style and survive for half a century due to their pursuit of excellence in artistry and quality of interpretation. While the group has composed over 30 pieces as part of their newer repertoire, traditional Mexican and Latin American rhythms coming from instruments in the styles of son jarocho or huapango are still alive in these songs. Many traditional performance groups still sing and dance to their songs.
In addition to shows held in major theaters and at numerous universities in Mexico and North America, Tlen-Huicani has also performed with symphony orchestras in Mexico, the United States, Latin America, and Spain, making a name for themselves around the world. They have received honors and accolades from governments, artistic and cultural institutions, both within and beyond Mexico.
In the process of recording their own compositions as well as collaborations with symphony orchestras and international musicians, the group has produced nine LPs and twenty CDs. As professors at the State University of Veracruz, the members have also trained a new generation of regional Arpa players who are now sought after around the world for the quality of their performances. By developing educational programs using small, inexpensive instruments that can be used to teach groups of students, Tlen-Huicani enables children, youth, and generations of families to enter the wonderful world of Veracruz Arpa music.

Natsumi Imamura

She is the only Mexican harp player in Japan. Her musical history took off in an academy directed by a venerable harpist named Chucho de Mexico, after being inspired by his great performance when she was six years old. Following initial struggles, she challenged herself in establishing a firm grounding in Latin music under his guidance. After dedicating ten years to study, she made up her mind to learn more in Mexico, where Paraguayan harpist Celso Duarte lived, so that she could gain practical techniques. This was when she was just sixteen. One year later, she improved her skills by studying with Mexican harpist Alberto de la Rosa.
Eventually, she made a great debut the age of 20, as the only professional Arpa player in Japan. Since her debut, she has regularly performed many times at concerts and festivals organized by Veracruz State. She then launched concert tours in Tokyo, Sendai, Kyoto, and Hiroshima, to commemorate her third album, released at the age of 23. Her concerts in the four cities of Veracruz State got especially fabulous reviews. This led her to appear in national radio and TV programs as a representative of Japan.
Since 2014, she has been offered opportunities to perform her melodies at International Arpa Festivals, held in both Colombia and Mexico. (Adapted from the website: https://www.imamuranatsumi.com/arpa.)